第15章

“Merapi!“Iwhispered。 “MoonofIsrael!“murmuredSeti，“filledwiththemoon，lovelyasthemoon，mysticasthemoonandworshippingthemoon，hermother。“ “Sheisintrouble；letushelpher，“Isaid。 “Nay，waitawhile，Ana，forneveragainshallyouandIseesuchasightasthis。“ Lowaswespokebeneathourbreath，Ithinktheladyheardus。Atleastherfacechangedandgrewfrightened。Hastilysherose，liftedthegreatbundleofstrawuponwhichshehadbeenkneelingandplaceditonherhead。Sheranafewsteps，thenstumbledandsankdownwithalittlemoanofpain。Inaninstantwewereatherside。Shestaredatusaffrighted，forwhowewereshecouldnotseebecauseofthewidehoodsofourcommoncloaksthatmadeuslooklikemidnightthieves，orslave-dealingBedouin。 “Oh!Sirs，“shebabbled，“harmmenot。Ihavenothingofvalueonmesavethisamulet。“ “Whoareyouandwhatdoyouhere？“askedthePrincedisguisinghisvoice。 “Sirs，IamMerapi，thedaughterofNathantheLevite，hewhomtheaccursedEgyptiancaptain，Khuaka，murderedatTanis。“ “HowdoyoudaretocalltheEgyptiansaccursed？“askedSetiintonesmadegrufftohidehislaughter。 “Oh!Sirs，becausetheyare——ImeanbecauseIthoughtyouwereArabswhohatethem，aswedo。AtleastthisEgyptianwasaccursed，forthehighPrinceSeti，Pharaoh’sheir，causedhimtobebeheadedforthatcrime。“ “AnddoyouhatethehighPrinceSeti，Pharaoh’sheir，andcallhimaccursed？“ Shehesitated，theninadoubtfulvoicesaid： “No，Idonothatehim。“ “Whynot，seeingthatyouhatetheEgyptiansofwhomheisoneofthefirstandthereforetwiceworthyofhatred，beingthesonofyouroppressor，Pharaoh？“ “Because，althoughIhavetriedmybest，Icannot。Also，“sheaddedwiththejoyofonewhohasfoundagoodreason，“heavengedmyfather。“ “Thisisnocause，girl，seeingthatheonlydidwhatthelawforcedhimtodo。TheysaythatthisdogofaPharaoh’ssonishereinGoshenuponsomemission。Isittrue，andhaveyouseenhim？Answer，forweofthedesertfolkdesiretoknow。“ “Ibelieveitistrue，Sir，butIhavenotseenhim。“ “Whynot，ifheishere？“ “BecauseIdonotwishto，Sir。WhyshouldadaughterofIsraeldesiretolookuponthefaceofaprinceofEgypt？“ “IntruthIdonotknow，“repliedSetiforgettinghisfeignedvoice。 Then，seeingthatsheglancedathimsharply，headdedingrufftones： “Brother，eitherthiswomanliesorsheisnoneotherthanthemaidtheycallMoonofIsraelwhodwellswitholdJabeztheLevite，heruncle。Whatthinkyou？“ “Ithink，Brother，thatshelies，andforthreereasons，“Ianswered，fallingintothejest。“First，sheistoofairtobeoftheblackHebrewblood。“ “Oh!Sir，“moanedMerapi，“mymotherwasaSyrianladyofthemountains，withaskinaswhiteasmilk，andeyesblueastheheavens。“ “Secondly，“Iwentonwithoutheedingher，“ifthegreatPrinceSetiisreallyinGoshenandshedwellsthere，itisunnaturalthatsheshouldnothavegonetolookuponhim。Beingawomanonlytwothingswouldhavekeptheraway，one——thatshefearedandhatedhim，whichshedenies，andtheother——thatshelikedhimtoowell，and，beingprudent，thoughtitwisestnottolookuponhimmore。“ Whensheheardthefirstofthesewords，Merapiglancedupwithherlipspartedasthoughtoanswer。Instead，shedroppedhereyesandsuddenlyseemedtochoke，whileeveninthemoonlightIsawtheredbloodpourtoherbrowandalongherwhitearms。 “Sir，“shegasped，“whyshouldyouaffrontme？IswearthatnevertillthismomentdidIthinksuchathing。Surelyitwouldbetreason。“ “Withoutdoubt，“interruptedSeti，“yetoneofasortthatkingsmightpardon。“ “Thirdly，“IwentonasthoughIhadheardneitherofthem，“ifthisgirlwerewhatshedeclares，shewouldnotbewanderingaloneinthedesertatnight，seeingthatIhaveheardamongtheArabsthatMerapi，daughterofNathantheLevite，isaladyofnomeanbloodamongtheHebrewsandthatherfamilyhaswealth。Still，howevermuchshelies，wecanseeforourselvesthatsheisbeautiful。“ “Yes，Brother，inthatwearefortunate，sincewithoutdoubtshewillsellforahighpriceamongtheslavetradersbeyondthedesert。“ “Oh!Sir，“criedMerapiseizingthehemofhisrobe，“surelyyouwhoI feel，Iknownotwhy，arenoevilthief，youwhohaveamotherand，perchance，sisters，wouldnotdoomamaidentosuchafate。MisjudgemenotbecauseIamalone。Pharaohhascommandedthatwemustfindstrawforthemakingofbricks。ThismorningIcamefartosearchforitonbehalfofaneighbourwhosewifeisillinchildbed。ButtowardssundownIslippedandcutmyselfupontheedgeofasharpstone。See，“ andholdingupherfootsheshowedawoundbeneaththeinstepfromwhichthebloodstilldropped，asightthatmovedbothofusnotalittle，“andnowIcannotwalkandcarrythisheavystrawwhichIhavebeenatsuchpainstogather。“ “Perchanceshespeakstruth，Brother，“saidthePrince，“andifwetookherhomewemightearnnosmallrewardfromJabeztheLevite。Butfirsttellme，Maiden，whatwasthatprayerwhichyoumadetothemoon，thatHathorshouldhelpyourheart？“ “Sir，“sheanswered，“onlytheidolatrousEgyptianspraytoHathor，theLadyofLove。“ “IthoughtthatalltheworldprayedtotheLadyofLove，Maiden。Butwhatoftheprayer？Istheresomemanwhomyoudesire？“ “None，“sheansweredangrily。 “Thenwhydoesyourheartneedsomuchhelpthatyouaskitoftheair？Isthereperchancesomeonewhomyoudo/not/desire？“ Shehungherheadandmadenoanswer。 “Come，Brother，“saidthePrince，“thisladyiswearyofus，andI thinkthatifshewereatruewomanshewouldanswerourquestionsmorereadily。Letusgoandleaveher。Asshecannotwalkwecantakeherlaterifwewish。“ “Sirs，“shesaid，“Iamgladthatyouaregoing，sincethehyenaswillbesafercompanythantwomenwhocanthreatentosellahelplesswomanintoslavery。YetasweparttomeetnomoreIwillansweryourquestion。IntheprayertowhichyouwerenotashamedtolistenIdidnotprayforanylover，Iprayedtoberidofone。“ “Now，Ana，“saidthePrinceburstingintolaughterandthrowingbackhisdarkcloak，“doyoudiscoverthenameofthatunhappymanofwhomtheladyMerapiwishestoberid，forIdarenot。“ Shegazedintohisfaceandutteredalittlecry。 “Ah!“shesaid，“IthoughtIknewthevoiceagainwhenonceyouforgetyourpart。PrinceSeti，doesyourHighnessthinkthatthiswasakindjesttopractiseupononealoneandinfear？“ “LadyMerapi，“heansweredsmiling，“benotwroth，foratleastitwasagoodoneandyouhavetoldusnothingthatwedidnotknow。YoumayrememberthatatTanisyousaidthatyouwereaffiancedandtherewasthatinyourvoice。Suffermenowtotendthiswoundofyours。“ Thenhekneltdown，toreastripfromhisceremonialrobeoffinelinen，andbegantobindupherfoot，notunskilfully，beingamanfullofstrangeandunexpectedknowledge。Asheworkedatthetask，watchingthem，Isawtheireyesmeet，sawtoothatrichfloodofcolourcreeponcemoretoMerapi’sbrow。ThenIbegantothinkitunseemlythatthePrinceofEgyptshouldplaytheleechtoawoman’shurts，andtowonderwhyhehadnotleftthathumbletasktome。 Presentlythebandagingwasdoneandmadefastwitharoyalscarab？usmountedonapinofgold，whichthePrinceworeinhisgarments。Onitwascuttheur？uscrownandbeneathitwerethesignswhichread“LordoftheLowerandtheUpperLand，“beingPharaoh’sstyleandtitle。 “Seenow，Lady，“hesaid，“youhaveEgyptbeneathyourfoot，“andwhensheaskedhimwhathemeant，hereadherthewritinguponthejewel，whereatforthethirdtimeshecolouredtotheeyes。Thenheliftedherup，instructinghertorestherweightuponhisshoulder，sayinghefearedlestthescarab，whichhevalued，shouldbebroken。 Thuswestarted，Ibearingthebundleofstrawbehindashebademe，since，hesaid，havingbeengatheredwithsuchtoil，itmustnotbelost。Onreachingthechariot，wherewefoundtheguidegoneandthedriverasleep，hesatherinituponhiscloak，andwrappedherinminewhichheborrowed，sayingIshouldnotneeditwhomustcarrythestraw。Thenhemountedalsoandtheydroveawayatafoot’space。AsI walkedafterthechariotwiththestrawthatfellaboutmyears，I heardnothingoftheirfurthertalk，ifindeedtheytalkedatallwhich，thedriverbeingpresent，perhapstheydidnot。NorintruthdidIlistenwhowasengagedinthoughtastothehardlotofthesepoorHebrews，whomustcollectthisdirtystuffandbearitsofar，madeheavyasitwasbytheclaythatclungabouttheroots。